Southport primary school children beating the national average in Key Stage Two results

SOUTHPORT’S primary school children are beating the national average when it comes to their Key Stage Two results.

SOUTHPORT’S primary school children are beating the national average when it comes to their Key Stage Two results.

All but two of the town’s primary schools achieved above average scores in the national Achievement and Attainment league tables, which were published by the Government on Tuesday.

The tables show pass rates for the three core subjects of English, maths and science from the Key Stage Two Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), which were taken by 11-year-olds in May.

St Patrick’s Primary, on Radnor Drive, is Southport’s highest scoring school, with 95% of pupils achieving the expected level in English and science, and 98% in maths, giving an aggregate score of 288 across the core subjects.

Headteacher Gary Bevin credited pupils, staff and parents for maintaining the school’s high standards through a period of substantial junior department redevelopment.

He said: “The results are a reflection of the hard work put in by everybody at St Patrick’s.

“I thank all our previous Year 6 children for their efforts and I also thank our teachers and parents for all their wonderful support and guidance.”

Other schools to do well included Holy Family, which scored an aggregate of 283 across the core subjects, Norwood, which scored 274, and Churchtown Primary, which scored 270.

Holy Family headteacher Ann Quinn said: “Our continuing high position in the Primary Schools’ League Tables is an indication of the consistent high quality education which the school has offered to its pupils over a number of years.”

Churchtown Primary headteacher David Walker, meanwhile, said: “As ever with every year, the different children always aim to do their best.

“We were very, very pleased with the work of that Year 6 group.

“They’re not the highest scores we’ve achieved, but I’m very pleased with the hard work undertaken by the teachers and the pupils, and the support we get from parents.

“I’m also pleased the whole assessment procedure is under review because these tables still provide only a snapshot of what goes on in schools.”

And Lee Dumbell, Norwood Primary School headteacher, said: “We were quite pleased with the results because last year the children and staff worked incredibly hard, and you can see the progress that the children have made.

“We know what the children need to do.

“Not only did the children who have the potential to achieve do just that, but the less gifted ones did as well.

“It’s a real team effort.”

Leading the way in terms of pupil progression are Tarleton Holy Trinity, which achieved a contextual value added score of 101.4, and Kew Woods Primary and St Philip’s Primary, both with scores of 101.2.

The value added measure takes academic success as well as ability and background into consideration – with scores over 100 classed as above average – and their scores put them among the top ten schools in the whole of Sefton.

Brian Johnson, headteacher at St Philip’s, which was the third highest scoring school in Southport, with an aggregate score of 281 across the core subjects, said: “Obviously we are really pleased.

“Our Year 6 teacher Phil Thomson is leaving us at Christmas so it’s a nice leaving present for him.